Launched on January 1, 1997, the People's Daily Online becomes a new important medium for disseminating information to the world, and the most authoritative among Chinese websites. This new information medium is under the People's Daily, an official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCCPC).

The People's Daily is the most authoritative newspaper in China. Launched in June 1948 and with current circulation of 3 million, the People's Daily is one of China's biggest dailies and, according to UNESCO, ranks among the world top 10.

The People's Daily carries the latest Chinese government's policies and resolutions as well as major home and international news. It reflects the views of the Chinese people, advocates justice and condemns malpractices. The People's Daily also publishes six newspapers and five magazines, including the Overseas Edition of the People's Daily and the Market Daily.

With the progress of science and technology and the advent of an information era, the People's Daily is able to get the contents of its newspapers and magazines onto the Internet to disseminate information to the world more promptly and extensively.

The People's Daily Online has attracted worldwide attention shortly after its appearance. Anywhere and anytime, anyone of the 80 million users of the Internet can easily read and visit the latest issue of People's Daily and its other publications and on the database and the People's Daily Online has become the biggest Chinese website on the Internet in terms of visiting numbers and the quantity of information. The English edition of the People's Daily Online is available as from January 14, 1998.

With a large quantity of information, lively forms and the most up-to-date contents, the People's Daily Online is well received from all walks of life. By the end of 1997, its visiting number had reached 12 million hits per month, which promises a bright prospect. Meanwhile, the editing staff and technicians are still working hard on the construction of the Hotline platform and an information database to make it a first-rate distributing center of information about China.